Chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain eschews lots of heavy sauces and complicated ingredients in favour of simple, fresh, well-prepared dishes. That’s a philosophy that can also be seen in Oru Cuisine’s new menu.

Executive Chef Darren Brown and his team apply their passion to foods of the Pacific Northwest, incorporating flavours from the Pacific Rim. “It’s our goal to use the best product at the best time and let the food speak for itself.” Says Chef Brown. “Our West Coast ingredients are conducive to the Pacific Rim style of cooking and I look forward to showcasing this to our guests.”

I recently had the opportunity to try out some of the dishes off their new menu, and I was absolutely blown away. I’m neither a chef nor a food critic, and therefore unable to do justice to the dishes we had by my descriptions, but here’s a quick look at what we ate.

We started with the Sunchoke Soup, which is where I think everyone should start. I confess I didn’t even know what a sunchoke (also known as Jerusalem artichoke) was before dining at Oru. It turns out it’s a root vegetable that has a rich earthy flavour. Finished with a truffle foamed milk it’s a rich and complex flavour and was perhaps my favourite dish of the night.

The Notch Hills Beet Salad was next – pickled and poached baby Sorrento beets, beet chutney, chimichurri vinaigrette, and cabrales blue cheese. Like the rest of the menu, the beets are procured locally from a single farm.

Notch Hills Beet Salad

I love tuna, and was excited to see Albacore Tuna Carpaccio on the menu. It didn’t disappoint, and was followed by the equally delicious Dungeness Crab Cakes, served with panko crust, tartar sauce, celery root, pickled ginger and watercress salad.

One of the more popular menu items is the “Kalua” Pork Belly. It’s Fraser Valley pork belly, slowly prepared with oven-dried pineapple, maple-mustard glaze, fried sage, pork cracklings, lotus root purée. The pork is so tender it practically melts in your mouth.

West coast ingredients and Pacific Rim flavours combine in a menu that is seasonally adjusted to ensure quality and freshness. The next time you’re in the mood for some really good food in Vancouver I recommend you check out Oru Cuisine at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.

Why wait? Oru has generously offered dinner for two to one of our lucky readers. Enjoy a tasting menu for two, including a glass of wine.To be eligible just post a comment below. We’ll pick a winner next week and notify them by email.Good luck!

A wish come true…..practicing the law of attraction and keeping my belly empty!
Good luck everyone ~

Katrina

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 10:42 am

sounds delish!

Charlene

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 10:49 am

Threw a birthday party for my bff there about a year ago. Glad to see they’re still serving a delicious menu. Hope the service is still excellent!

Heidi

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 10:58 am

We only have one life so let’s eat to our heart’s content!

Thank you in advance ^_^

valerie

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:03 am

Birthday’s coming up…just say-in’..

Andrea

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:11 am

I tried Oru during a Dine Out Vancouver, and the food was amazing and our red wine came through the most elegant, fragile-looking decanter I’ve ever seen!

Taruna Goel

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:12 am

Looks delicious! Would love to get a first-hand experience :) Thank you

Danielle

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:13 am

Would love to try this place & blog about it after on my foodie blog! :D

Kyla

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:25 am

Oru is so delicious!! I would love to win and dinner for two for me and my partener!!

Connie

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:25 am

Sounds delicious! Would love to have the opportunity to dine here.

Katherine Houston

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:26 am

I could go for those crab cakes, they sound fantastic

Vince

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:29 am

Pick me please, would love to go!

Seila

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:34 am

The pork belly looks delicious!

Brie Gibson

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:42 am

Pick me! I’m pregnant and hungry, and my husband can have my wine :)

Maritza

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:54 am

I’m visiting vancouver for first time, I would love to win!

Angela

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:54 am

Would be a great date night! Food looks amazing!

Carly G

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:01 pm

This looks amazing — pick me pick me!

Amanda

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:02 pm

Yummy! I would love to try this place!

Whitney Donaldson

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:06 pm

I would love love love to try!

Mike Edwards

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:10 pm

went there for Valentines day, great food and service, great Sake list too!!

Nataliya

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:14 pm

Great place for a date :)

Dee Blake

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:18 pm

Oh! Wow, We are heading to Vancouver next week for 10 days from Ireland. Would love to dine at Oru as I am a foodie it would make my holiday.

Vanessa

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:25 pm

This place sounds amazing! I would love to give these tickets to my parents for a long deserved date night

Ken

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:26 pm

It looks so good! Love our food here.

CHARLES

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:26 pm

i want to try them out!
thx

LC

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:27 pm

This is on my foodie wish list!

Shannon Steele

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:29 pm

The pictures are making my mouth water.

Kerri

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:31 pm

What a delightful contest! Yes please! :)

Minnie

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:32 pm

Looks delicious. Are they?

A L

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:36 pm

Whoever took those photos is freaking talented… can I have a photography lesson please? :)

Sue

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:38 pm

I’m one lucky reader :o)

Carmen

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 12:43 pm

This would be a great date night after baby comes!

pakka

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:01 pm

Yes please!!

Cristina Gecolea

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:03 pm

I love that they feature West coast ingredients; to me that’s very sustainable and supportive for the local food economy. Also shows that we have a lot of things to be proud of in our food availability here! Their presentation is amazing!

DarleneC

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:23 pm

The pork looks devine. I am hungry just looking at it. I would love to eat here.

ArleneC

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:24 pm

I have great things about this restaurant so I would love to try it for myself.

Jane

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:32 pm

Been dying to dine at Oru!

mike scurfield

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 1:36 pm

I would love to try some fine dinning :-)

Iris

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 2:06 pm

Never been and would love to try it!

Wendy T

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 2:25 pm

Would love to try Oru Cuisine, especially the pork belly!

Suvina

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 2:36 pm

Om nom nom!

Tracey Ho

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 2:42 pm

Yum! If I get to win this, I’ll sing the praises of Oru Cuisine like there’s no tomorrow.

Jennifer Law

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 3:00 pm

It sounds so good. Would love to try!

Ashley Taje

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 3:52 pm

I would love to celebrate my upcoming birthday at Oru! I have heard great things

I’ve only been to Oru once but was lucky to be able to go with my whole family and enjoy the amazing food and wonderful ambience. Would love to go again!

Sharon

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 5:36 pm

Our family has dined at Oru. The service was exceptional and the food was divine. We’ll be there again soon!

Martina

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 5:41 pm

Always wanted to try Oru! Great give away.

Amber L

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 5:45 pm

Wow! Sounds amazing. Would love to try Oru’s tasting menu!

Silvia

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 5:58 pm

would love a chance to try it!

Reza A.

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 6:02 pm

I’d love to try it out!

Karen Elder

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 6:06 pm

Pretty Pleeeeease pick me, this place looks amazing!

Hong

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 7:11 pm

Sounds delicious!!! Would love to experience the fine dining ORU

Cecil

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 7:13 pm

Terrific contest. Thanks for the post. You always know what is the best

Mia

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 7:17 pm

Wow. Who can resist the allure of these kalua pork belly? I know I cannot :)

Jeanie

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 7:30 pm

Love to try Oru <3

Kevin G

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 7:46 pm

My wife and I will be traveling to Vancouver from Florida in a couple of weeks. Every one has told us how much we will love it there. I’ve been reading about so many great places to eat that I am almost more excited about the food. We would love to experience your PNW cuisine.

KY

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 8:32 pm

This looks fantastic!

Holy

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 9:20 pm

This is true edible art. Would love to be there

Ivy

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 9:21 pm

It is the best dining in town. That’s for sure

Lena

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 9:57 pm

Would love to take my boyfriend for dinner after he comes home from military !

Alice

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 10:07 pm

Food looks wonderful, would love the chance to dine at Oru.

eka

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 10:59 pm

me please!!

Elissa

Tuesday, 24 Jul 2012 11:23 pm

would be delighted to go and bring my mum who;s visiting from out of town!

I just watched oruTube, cruised through the food & beverage menus, and noticed that my favourite drink of choice (IPA) would pair really well with Pemberton Potato Chips, along with the Summer Tasting Menu, of course. Hmmm…I’m making myself hungry!

Inside Vancouver is a multi-author blog, written by Vancouverites about Vancouver. Our goal is to give an insider’s view of Vancouver, to provide information, stories and opinions from the locals’ perspective about this great city.